Countries join together to tackle TB

TB has been recognised as a global problem as countries from around the world joined together to agree to make improvements in the battle to beat the disease.

Health ministers and other senior figures from 27 countries met at a meeting to discuss TB in China, at which a consensus was reached that the situation for the disease is "potentially explosive".

A new project has been launched by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, along with the Chinese government, to invest more into fighting TB and increasing awareness of it.

Mr Gates noted that China is in one of the best positions to lead the way in the battle against TB.

"Because of its skill, its scale, its TB burden, its love of innovation, and its political commitment to public health, China is a perfect laboratory for large-scale testing of new tools and delivery techniques to fight TB," he said.

To begin with, 20 million people in six provinces will be covered by the new scheme, which will grow to help 100 million people within the next five years.

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